Revealed: Harrogate Christmas shop window winners for 2016

Andrew Wright

Businesses across our district have once again pulled out all the stops to make sure our high streets look incredible at Christmas, and, after much consideration, results of the annual Christmas Shop Window Competition are in!

Adage Dance of Cheltenham Parade in Harrogate received a silver rose bowl trophy for its overall win.

.Overall Charity Shop winner Kim Mays of St. Michael's Hospice Starbeck with The President of Harrogate Soroptimists Pat Shore and The Mayor of Harrogate Coun Nick Brown. (1611295AM2)

The Adage team also took the small shops category win, while Bettys and Jespers took the large and medium shop titles respectively.

Shops and offices who contribute to Harrogate at Christmas are automatically entered into the Harrogate Shop window competition.

The Rotary Club of Harrogate organised and carried out the judging which involved 13 Rotarians, two Soroptimists and three students from Harrogate College. Working in pairs each group of judges scored the shop windows on the basis of illumination, innovation and the Spirit of Christmas.

At the end of the judging all the scores were brought together to agree the outright winners and any highly commended windows

Sisters Alice(11) and Rose McIntee(6) are part of the winning window display in Adage Dance. Picture : Adrian Murray.(1612058AM1)

Graham Saunders, who organised the judging on behalf of the Rotary Club, said ‘We were delighted to be able to take part again this year.

"There are some splendidly decorated shop windows which we saw when we carried out the judging.

"We were particularly pleased that shops outside the town centre, particularly Westmorland Street and Montpellier were highly commended’.

He encouraged shoppers to look at the windows of the winning and highly commended shops.

The Mayor of Harrogate Coun.Nick Brown, President of the Harrogate Soroptimists Pat Shore and Sandra Jowett(Soroptimists) with charity shop winners Kim Mays and Lindsey Crawford of St. Michael's Hospice Starbeck, Beverley Cooper and Kieran Young of Shelter (Harrogate) and Polly Harvey and Marjorie Gee of St. Michael's Hospice Ripon. (1611295AM1)

Ray Osman, Vice Chair of the Harrogate at Christmas Group congratulated all the retailers and charity shops for making that extra effort to decorate their window for Christmas. ‘Their efforts give Harrogate that festive feel’ he said at the awards presentation.

Cllr John Fox Chair of Harrogate at Christmas said “We are highly delighted that the Council have provided the Silver Rose Bowl for presentation to the overall winner of the competition. The Rose Bowl was originally presented to the Council by the Harrogate Chamber to be awarded for the best dressed window in Italian week.

Peter Jesper and Kate Jesper of Jespers, Sandra Sales, Alice McIntee(11) and Rose McIntee(6) of Adage Dance, Robyn Cox and Eliza Mellor of Bettys with the President of the Rotary Club of Harrogate Margaret -Ann de Courcey Bayley, The Mayor of Harrogate Coun Nick Brown, Graham Saunders(Harrogate Rotary) and Ray Osman ((Vice Chair of the Harrogate at Christmas Group)(1611295AM4)

Overall winners Alice McIntee(11), Rose McIntee(6), Anna McIntee and Sandra Sales of Adage Dance with Ray Osman((Vice chair of the Harrogate at Christmas Group, Graham Saunders (Rotary) , President of the Rotary Club of Harrogate Margaret de Courcey-Bayley and The Mayor of Harrogate Coun. Nick Brown. (1611295AM5)